Leinster fend off late Munster rally

Leinster 24 Munster 19: As reunions go, it could have been livelier, though it wasn't for the lack of effort. The first interprovincial meeting of the season between Ireland's preeminent protagonists produced only a penalty try and was decided by the boots of friends renewed as foes.

Jonathan Sexton had outscored his international team-mate Ronan O’Gara seven to four in the penalty count before the latter converted a 77th minute five-pointer awarded by referee Pascal Gauzere.

Had Rob Kearney not chipped in with a timely drop-goal that gave the homeside some breathing space in the second half, Munster’s momentum might have seen O’Gara primed to nick it late but they needed a try and found no way through in the frantic dying moments.

The win sent Leinster second in the RaboDirect Pro 12 table until tomorrow, at least, when Ospreys host Scarlets at the Liberty Stadium. Munster, level on points with Joe Schmidt’s side before tonight, remain third, one point better off thanks to their late rally.

Schmidt admitted to being "frustrated" afterwards but said it was ideal preparation ahead of the Heineken Cup opener against Montpellier next week.

"It was an ugly game, there's not going to be that many ugly games because it's not the way we want to play, but we'll take the four points," said the Leinster coach, who also expressed hope Munster's Keith Earls was not too badly injured after being withdrawn in the first minute.

Munster captain Paul O'Connell was disappointed with the amount of penalties his side conceded and admitted: "If we continue to do that we'll be in a lot of trouble."

"If we score, we can't concede three points immediately down the other end. It's just not winning rugby," he told TG4.

Earls was an immediate casualty when he fielded Sexton's kick-off and injured his left knee as he set up a ruck near his 22. Munster coach Tony McGahan said the Ireland international would "definitely not" be available for their European Cup opener against Northampton.

Danny Barnes was brought off the bench in his place and the visitors soon took the lead, O'Gara drilling over a penalty after Donncha O'Callaghan poached a Leinster lineout.

The home side were back level by the 10th minute, their forwards gaining good ground before Sexton fired over his first of his 21 points. Every mistake was magnified in a typically frenetic and abrasive opening, with Sexton moving Leinster 6-3 ahead after Donnacha Ryan infringed at a midfield ruck.

World Cup team-mates Seán O'Brien and Conor Murray clashed off the ball before O'Gara and Sexton exchanged penalties once again, with neither attack able to prise open a gap. The first break eventually came when Cian Healy thundered through a couple of tackles and brought play up close to the Munster tryline. However, Leinster botched an overlap on the left and had to settle for another penalty from Sexton.

Five minutes later, Munster drew a penalty from a well-orchestrated maul and O'Gara had little difficulty in splitting the posts from the left. But when BJ Botha infringed at a scrum just inside the visitors' 22, Sexton restored Leinster's six-point advantage for half-time.

The nip-and-tuck pattern continued into the second half with O'Gara and Sexton swapping penalties, although an injection of pace from Luke Fitzgerald and Fergus McFadden got Leinster's attack firing.

Isa Nacewa was crowded out in the right corner but space was beginning to open up as evidenced by midfield bursts from Barnes and Gordon D'Arcy.

Leinster moved nine points in front when, with a penalty advantage, Kearney was teed up for a sweetly-struck drop goal from 35 metres out. Schmidt's charges were beginning to find holes and when Denis Leamy killed quick ruck ball for Leinster and received a yellow card, Sexton made it a double scores lead at 24-12.

O'Gara suffered his first miss two minutes later, yet the 14 men of Munster soon had the European champions under huge pressure.

O'Connell was central to a series of lineout mauls which could and perhaps should have led to the game's first try. Leinster leaked penalties and had Jamie Heaslip sin-binned as he infringed when trying to halt the Munster drive.

It was all hands to the pump for the men in blue who managed to keep Munster out until three minutes from the end.

The visitors' scrum found the strength to shunt Leinster back towards their line and on the second such occasion, after James Coughlan almost got over, Gauzere awarded a penalty try.

O'Gara quickly converted but a losing bonus point was Munster's only reward after a bruising contest.